Syrian President Bashar al-Assad accused Turkey that it provides logistical support to Syrian “terrorists”, urging the Islamic-conservative government in Ankara not to meddle in the affairs of Syria, according to an interview published by a Turkish newspaper. “Turkey’s intention to interfere in the internal affairs of Syria placed it in a position that unfortunately made it a participant in all bloody actions ” in Syria, Assad told the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, in the second part of the interview published today. “Turkey has offered logistical support to terrorists who have killed people,” continued the Syrian president, who has been facing a popular uprising since March 2011.
From mid-March 2011 Syria has been affected by a movement repressed by the al-Assad regime , which tends to turn into an armed conflict between the army and deserters who joined the Free Syrian Army (FSA). Colonel Riyadh al-Assaad coordinates the Free Syrian Army from Turkey, where he took refuge along with several military deserters. But after Syrian allegations were made public and information published in the foreign press, Ankara has repeatedly said it will not authorize launching attacks against Syria targets from Turkey and it will not provide any support to these forces.
But Syrian President accused Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who harshly attacked the policy of Damascus, that he acts of “religious instinct”, which in his opinion intensified the crisis in Syria. Turkey’s population, which has a long border with Syria is mostly of Sunni confession, while the Damascus government, army and the ruling Ba’th Party, consist mostly of Alawis, a Muslim confession close to the Shia Islam. In the first part of this interview, published Tuesday, Syrian leader mimicked reconciliation with Ankara, expressing regret for his army taking down a Turkish fighter plane, and giving assurances that he doesn’t aim to mobilize troops on the border between the two countries, former allies.
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